Overhead traveling bridge



Jur le 17, 1930.. T, BENNINGTON 1,764,144

OVERHEAD TRAVELING BRIDGE Filed Aug. 12, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet l June 17, 1930. 'E. T. BENNINGTON OVERHEAD TRAVELING BRIDGE Filed Aug. 12. 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 us H mmvl hwlm m m m wl H u Patented June 17, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EARL T. IBENNINGTON, OF CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE CLEVE- LAND CRANE & ENGINEERING COMPANY, OF WICKLIFFE, OHIO, A. CORPORATION OF OHIO OVERHEAD TRAVELING BRIDGE Application filed August 12, 1927. Serial No. 212,422.

This invention relates to transfer bridges or cranes of the overhead traveling type and has for its object to provide an eflicient, economical and convenient transfer bridge or crane of the type referred to.

A further object is to provide a bridge propelling mechanism adapted to be controlled manually by an operator riding a trolley on the bridge, and further to provide controlling means such that one end of the bridge may be propelled independently of the other to square the bridge with respect to its runway and to insure proper alignment of the bridge with fixed tracks alongside the bridge runway.

A further object is to provide a bridge propolling mechanism with controlling means including manually operable actuating members which are disposed within convenient reach of an operator riding a trolley on the bridge whereby the operator may control the movements of the bridge back and forth along the runway.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention may be said to comprise the device as illustrated in the accompanying drawings hereinafter described and particularly set forth in the appended claims, together with such variations and modifications thereof as will be apparent to one skilled in the art to which the invention appertains.

Reference should be had to the acompanying drawings forming a part of the specifica tion, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a combined transfer bridge and crane embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and V Fig. 3 is a plan view showing the transfer bridge and portions of the fixed monorail tracks adjacent thereto.

Fig. 4 is a detail view on line 44 of Fig. 2, showing the driving mechanism interposed between the motors and bridge supporting wheels.

Fig, 5 is a sectional view taken on line 55 of Fig. 2.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings as applied to a combined ment with any one of the tracks.

transfer bridge and crane which is mounted to travel transversely of a series of fixed overhead tracks 1 which extend from one or both sides of the bridge runway, the bridge being adapted to be moved to a position in align- The tracks 1 are monorail tracks T-shaped in cross section andare suspended by flexible hanger rods 2, and extending along the ends of the rails 1 are transverse rails 3 which support the ends of the traveling bridge, one or more intermediate rails 4 being provided between the rails 3 in cases where a long bridge is used. The bridge supporting rails 3 and 4 are T-shaped in cross section and are supported by flexible hangers 5 with their flanges in position to receive the supporting wheels of the bridge. The bridge consists of a girder 6 which is composed of an upper T-shaped cross section 7 of structural steel and a standard monorail 8 of T-shaped cross sec tion which has its web welded or otherwise rigidly secured to the web of the structural steel section 7. The rail 8 of the girder is adapted to align with any of the tracks 1 so that trolleys or carriers may be run from the bridge onto the fixed track or from the fixed track onto the bridge. Adjacent each supporting rail, the girder 6 has a cross bar 9 rigidly secured to the top thereof and these cross v bars at the opposite ends thereof on opposite sides of the girder carry swivelled supporting trucks 10 which have wheels running upon the flanges of the tracks 3 and 4. The flexible suspension of the tracks 3 and 4 allows the supp'ortingtracks to move laterally slightly when unequal thrusts are exerted upon opposite ends of the bridge andthe swivelled supporting wheels permit the bridge to travel without binding when the supporting rails are moved or when one end of thebridge lags slightly behind the other.

By reason of the flexible suspension of the supporting tracks and the swivelling of the supporting wheels, I am able to employ separate propelling motors at the opposite ends of the bridge which eliminates the cross shaft commonly employed between the driving gears for the wheels at the opposite ends of the bridge. If one end of the bridge should pivots 12.- The'casing motor such as'commonly employed for pro-' 16ornay be mounted supporting tracks. For propelling the bridge, electric motors are preferably em-x ployed, there being at least one motor at each end of the frame. If desired, an additional.

motor may be mounted upon the cross bars 9 intermediate or all of thecross barsmay be provided with a motor at each end thereof. The number of propelling motors will be determined by the speed at which it is desired to operate the bridge and the loads which the bridge is deiigned to carry. In Fig. 3 of the drawings, the two end motorcasings 11 are shown in full lines and similar casings are indicated in dotted lines on the center cross bar and on the opposite enls of the end cross bars. The motor casing 11. is designed to be placed on any oneofthe swivelled supportingftrucks and is connected to the cross bars 9 by vertical 11 encloses an electric pelling monorail carriers, together with'gearingfOrconnecting the motor to the supporting wheels. As shown in Fig. 4, the supporting wheels which engage the tracks 3 or 4 are each provided with a gear 11 either cut directly upon the'wheels or rigidly attached thereto. A pair of pinions 11? are .keyed or otherwise secured to a transverse shaft 11 suitably journalled inthe casing 11, and these pinions mesh with the gears 11*. The shaft 11 has preferably one ende'xtending beyond a portion of the casing 11 and rigidly supports a gear 11 which meshes with a freely rotatable gear 11 ournalled in the housing 11. Themotor shaft is provided with a pinion 11 and is in mesh with the gear 11 so that when the motor is operating the supporting wheels are thus driven through the train of 2 gears. I Each motor casing carries current collectors 13 which bear upon conductor rails 14 extending alongside the supporting track for supplying'current to the electric motor.

, At the end of each ofithe fixed rails 1, each railhas fixed thereto a vertical post 15 which s adapted to be engaged by a latch 16-carried by the girder 6 at the end thereof. The latch 6 in cases where fixed tracks extend fromboth sides ofthe bridge runway or may be mounted one end only where the bridge is mounted alongside. a single set of tracks. The latch 16 is carried by rods 17 slidably mounted on opposite sides of the girder and is normally pressed outwardly by means-of springs 18 on therod 17 The latch comprises an enlarged head provided with a notch 19" adapted to the ends of theframe and any at each end of the girder receive the post 15, and curved wings 20 extending from opposite sides of the notch which engage with the post 15 as the bridge approaches a position in alignment with the fixed track and retract the latch in opposition 7 to the springs 18 so that when the'notch 19 comes into alignment with the post the latch may be forced outwardly into engagement with the post to lockthe girderinto position in which the rail 8'thereof alignswith the track 1. The latch may be retractedibymeans of a lever 21having a link connection with the rods 17 and provided with a chain 22 by means of which'it may be manually operated.

.The propelling motors are reversible to 0 propel the bridge in either'direction along I its runway and the motors at each end of the bridge are providedwith a controller 23 having a switch arm 2d normally held by springs 25 in a neutral position and adapted 1 to be moved in either direction from the neutral position to causeactuation of the motors in the forward or reverse direction. Each switch arm 24 has attached thereto a cable 26. which extends from the arm along the iio girder to a point adjacent the opposite end of the girder where it isat-tached to the cross bar. Connected to each of the arms 24 and extendmg therefrom in directions opposite to thecables 26 are cables 27 which extend over sheaves 28 located between the controllers 23 and theadjacent ends of the bridge and back along the bridge to points adjacent the opposite ends thereof where they are anchored to the bridge. The cables 26 extend along one side of the bridge and'the cables 27 extend along the opposite side of 'thebridge. When the cables 26 are pulled, the arms 24 are moved in a direction to supply current to the motors and cause them to be driven in adireotion to propel the bridge toward the cables 26 andwhen the cables 27 arepulled, the arms 24 are moved to a position in which current is supplied in a reverse direction to themotors to cause thebridge to travel to iio ward the cables 27 7 Various forms of trolleys'or carriers may be moved from the fixed tracks onto .the

bridge and from the bridge onto the fixed tracks,'an'd in Fig. 1 of the drawings there in is shown a common form of hoist trolley 29 provided with an operators cab 30 which is providedwith the usual controllers for the propelling motors. fThe cables 26 and 27 are so disposed along the length of the'girder 6 that they are within convenient, reach of an operator in the cab trolley hoist and 30 so that "the operator, when the trolley is on the bridge, may reach up and grasp the cables upon the side of the bridge toward which it is desired to propel the bridge, and by pulling the cables, the controllers are operated to actuate the motors- In the operation of transfer bridges, difdculti'e's are often experienced by reason of the fact that one end may be brought into alignment with the rails at one end of the bridge and be latched to the fixed track while the other end of the bridge lags behind and is stopped somewhat short of latching position. By providing the independently operable motors at opposite ends of the bridge, the lagging end of the bridge may be quickly brought to latching position. In the normal operation of the bridge, the operator grasps both of the cables on the side of the girder toward which the bridge is to be propelled, but by operating one of the cables only, the motor at either end of the bridge may be operated independently of the motor at the opposite end so that if either end fails to move fully into latching position, the bridge can be quickly brought into proper alignment with the fixed tracks by operating one of the motors only.

Although a preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described herein, it should be understood that the invention is susceptible of various modifications and adaptations within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is l. The combination with spaced parallel overhead track rails each provided with oppositely projecting flanges, of a bridge having supporting wheels traveling on opposite flanges of each of said rails, and propelling motors at opposite ends of the bridge each having a driving connection to Wheels traveling on opposite flanges of the adjacent rail.

2. The combination with spaced parallel overhead tracks, of a bridge having propelling motors at the opposite ends thereof, a

pair of oppositely disposed supporting wheels means in elther d1rect1on including manually traveling on each .of said tracks and driven by said motors, and means for controlling said motors to operate the same simultaneously or one independently of the other.

3. The combination with spaced parallel flexibly suspended monorail tracks, of a bridge beneath said tracks comprising a girder having a cross bar rigidly attached thereto beneath each track, supporting wheels swivelled to said bar on opposite sides of the girder and traveling on said tracks, and propelling motors at opposite ends of the bridge, each having a driving connection with a supporting wheel.

4. The combination with spaced parallel flexibly suspended monorail tracks, of a bridge beneath said tracks comprising a girder having a cross bar rigidly attached thereto beneath each track and supporting wheels swivelled to said bar on opposite sides of the girder and traveling on said tracks, propelling motors at opposite ends of the bridge, each having a driving connection with y a supporting wheel, and means for operating said motors simultaneously or one independently of the other.

5. The combination with spaced parallel overhead tracks, of a bridge having propelling motors at the opposite ends thereof, supporting Wheels traveling on said tracks and driven by said motors, and motor controlling means, including manually operable actuating members extending along the bridge.

6. The combination with spaced parallel overhead tracks, of a bridge having propelling motors at the opposite ends thereof, supporting wheels traveling on said tracks and driven by said motors, and means for controlling the motors to propel the bridge back and forth along said tracks, including manually operable actuating members extending along opposite sides of said bridge.

7. The combination with spaced parallel supporting tracks, of an overhead traveling bridge comprising a girder having a trolley supporting track extending from one end to the other of the girder and supporting wheels at the ends thereof traveling on said supporting tracks, means for propelling said bridge back and forth along said supporting tracks, and means for operating said propelling means including manually operable-controlling members extending along the bridge Within reach of an operator riding a trolley on the bridge.

8. The combination with spaced parallel supporting tracks, of an overhead traveling bridge comprising a girder having a trolley supporting track extending from one end to the other of the girder and supporting Wheels at the ends thereof traveling on said supporting tracks, means for propelling saidbridge back and forth along said supporting tracks, and means for operating said propelling operable controlling means extending along opposite sides of the girder Within reach of an operator riding a trolley on the bridge, the controlling means on one side of the girder being operable to cause actuation of the propelling means in one direction and the controlling means on the opposite side of the girder being operable to cause actuation of the propelling means in the opposite direction.

9. The combination with spaced parallel supporting tracks, of an overhead traveling bridge comprising a girder having a trolley supporting track extending from one end to the other of the girder and supporting wheels at the ends thereof traveling on said supporting tracks, an electric motor carried by the bridge at each end for driving the supporting wheels, a controller for each motor, each controller having means for normally holding it in a neutral position and being movable in opposite directions from said neutral position to cause forward or reverse actuation of 1ts motor, and manually operable .14 a I V 1,1 1

7 controller shifting members connected to each 7 Wheelscarried by cross bars at the ends and controller for shifting the same in opposite intermediate the ends oft-he girder.

directions, the shifting members of each con- I In testimony whereof 'I hereunto aifix my troller extending along opposite sides of the signature. I girder Within reach of an operator riding a a I EARL T. BENNI NGTON.

trolley on the bridge. I v

10. The combination With spaced overhead tracks, ofa bridgesuspended from said tracks and having a pair of oppositely disposed supporting Wheels traveling on each of said tracks, and means carried by said bridge for simultaneously driving supporting Wheels on the tWo tracks and for driving the supporting Wheels upon either of the tracks inde- V J y I F pendently' of the Wheels on the other track. I V 0 11.- In an overhead monorail system, r aligned fixed tracks having a gap between them, a bridge mounted to travel transversel of said tracks and having a monorail trac k p I v I H I 0 thereon adapted to align With said fixed Y j tracks, means for latching the ends of said 7 bridge to said fixed tracks to hold the track on the "bridge in alignment With the fixed tracks for passage of trolleys from the fixed 25 tracks to the bridge and from the bridge to I v the fixed tracks, and means for propelling the bridge including means for propelling either end of said bridge independently of the other to bring the bridge into alignment With the I I 39 fixed tracks. i I 5 12; The combination with spaced parallel V flexibly suspended monorail tracks formed of rails having oppositely extending flanges,v o f a bridge beneath said tracks comprising a I V :5; girder having a cross bar rigidly attached 7 i 300 thereto beneath each track, trucks swivelled 1 to the cross bars on opposite sides of the girder, Wheels on each truck adapted to travel on opposite flanges of the adjacent supportv 4o ing rail, and independent means for driving I I the heels of a truck at each end of the girder. V V V 13. The combination with spacedparallel flexibly suspended monorail tracks formed 45 of rails having oppositely extending flanges, I V r of a bridge beneath said tracks comprising a girder having a cross bar rigidly attached thereto beneath each track, trucks swivelled tothe cross bars on-opposite sides of the gir- 5o .der, wheels on each truck adapted to travel on i I g V v opposite flanges of the adjacent'supporting rail, motors mountedon sWivelled trucks at opposite ends of the girder, and driving connections from each motor to wheels on opposite' flanges of the adjacent rail.

14. Thecombination ith a series of spaced parallel flexiblysuspended monorail tracks formed ofrails having oppositely extending V flanges, of a bridge beneath said tracks comprising a girder having a cross bar rigidly attached thereto beneath each track, trucks swivelled to the cross bars onopposite sides of the girder and having Wheels traveling on A as said flanges,. and motors for driving said 7 V I Y a v 

